NJ sets record for rain, sleet, snow in 2018. More precipitation on the way for winter

Several cars piled up under an overpass in Little Falls after flooding caused them to float away from a dealership.
Courtesy of Miguel Galo, North Jersey Record

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A man braces himself against heavy winds as he crosses The Green in Morristown, braving the elements while a nor'easter dropping heavy rain and snow bears down in March 2018.(Photo: Bob Karp/Staff Photographer)Buy Photo

If you spent last year griping about how much rain, sleet and snow New Jersey was getting, your complaints have been justified.

New Jersey was pummeled with more precipitation in 2018 than in any other year since record keeping began in 1895, the state climatologist announced Wednesday.

A downpour on Friday pushed 2018 into the record books with a statewide average of 64.09 inches of precipitation.

That beat out 2011, which saw 63.95 inches in a year when Tropical Storms Irene and Lee inundated New Jersey.

"It wasn't one big month, one big event that jacked up totals," said David Robinson, the state climatologist at Rutgers University. "One of the big stories out of this is that the rainfall was spread out over the entire year."

A crowd is seen in the rain as artists perform on stage as beams of light shoot into the sky before the Pinata drops from the city's tallest building located at 663 Main Avenue at midnight in Passaic on 12/3118. Mitsu Yasukawa/Northjersey.com

Amy Johnson and Stormy of Morristown walk down South Street as snow becomes heavier, pedestrians navigating a predicted nor'easter, scheduled to dump over half a foot of snow and freezing rain on the area. November 15, 2018, Morristown, NJ Bob Karp/Staff Photographer

As the rain continues to fall, parents and friends on the bleachers, watch a boys soccer game of Paramus against Montville in the first half during the NJSIAA North 1 Group III semifinal at Paramus High School on 11/5/18. Mitsu Yasukawa/Northjersey.com

Jessica Hirsch (back to camera) Port Monmouth, emerges from the back seat of the car as she, Abby Cimmino, Red Bank, and two others not pictured, had to be rescued on Wilson Ave, Port Monmouth. Their car was stuck in high water. At left is Port Monmouth firefighter Lt. Robert Svenson, Jr. Person at right is unidentified. A nor'easter storm brought heavy rain, wind and flooding to Monmouth County Saturday, October 27, 2018. Russ DeSantis/For the Asbury Park Press

After damage to the apartments at 570 Fairview Ave. during a rain storm, when rocks from cliffs to the east came slamming into the buildings, early Thursday morning, damage continued Saturday morning. A retaining wall (shown here) to the apartment building's parking lot collapsed, causing serious damage to homes on Linda Ln. Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

After damage to the apartments at 570 Fairview Ave. during a rain storm, when rocks from cliffs to the east came slamming into the buildings, early Thursday morning, damage continued Saturday morning. A retaining wall to the apartment building's parking lot collapsed, causing serious damage to homes on Linda Lane Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018. Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Kinnelon’s historic Butternut Tree was felled by a storm that blew through the area. The tree, the oldest and largest known tree in New Jersey, is inscribed on the municipal seal and and emblazoned on local police officers’ uniform patches. Longtime Kinnelon resident Ernst Huber stopped by the site. Jai Agnish/Northjersey.com

Angela Tabisz, 6, of Bergen County beats the heat at Spray Park in Garfield. Temperatures Monday reached the upper 90's while the real feel climbed to the triple digits. Temperatures Tuesday are forecast to break 90 degrees again but possible thunderstorms could put an end to the heat wave. Monday, July 2, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

The 252nd commencement of Rutgers University was held at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway on Sunday, May 13, 2018. Students pull on ponchos as rain begins to fall during graduation. Amy Newman/NorthJersey.com

Nick Grato of Fort Lee wind-skis at Overpeck County Park in Ridgefield on Thursday, March 22, 2018. He windsurfs during the summer but has adapted the skill for winter use. Chris Pedota/NorthJersey.com

A woman and young boy walking down South Street in Morristown dodge wind, rain and flooding as a late morning storm brought torrential rain and wind damage around the state. (Bob Karp/@photopup) Bob Karp/@photopup

The heavy rain is a combination of climate change and weather patterns that set up a perfect scenario for a wet 2018, Robinson said. Global warming evaporates more surface water, which leads to an atmosphere laden with more vapor, he said.

Rain on Dec. 28 pushed New Jersey into the record books. The heavy rain and fog didn't prevent long time North Bergen resident Jessie Vargas from visiting The Great Falls in Paterson for the first time that day. She is with her friend Marisol Sanchez who came to visit from Puerto Rico.(Photo: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com-USA Today Network)

Add to that the jet stream producing a U-shaped pattern often throughout the year, keeping the West dry and the East Coast wet with warmer air.

"It's really a combination of climate and weather," Robinson said. "We have a more moisture-rich atmosphere and more warm air being pushed into our area."

That pattern may continue into 2019.

NOAA's winter precipitation outlook(Photo: NOAA)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted a slightly warmer winter with more precipitation for much of the mid-Atlantic, including New Jersey.

But predicting the state's long-range weather forecast is always tricky, since the Garden State sits between an ocean and a large continent and is halfway between the North Pole and the equator, Robinson said. The warming of surface water in the Pacific Ocean – called El Nino – could bring dry conditions to northern U.S. states and wetter conditions to the South, but it's rather weak this year, which is throwing off predictions.

Heaviest one-day rainfall totals

New Jersey had 11 days when a rainfall station received more than four inches of rain: